The signs almost never arrive in dramatic form.
Most adult children expect to “know” when their parent needs more help — there will be a moment, a fall, an obvious incident, and the family will spring into action. In practice, that moment is usually preceded by months of smaller signs nobody quite registered. A house that’s a little less tidy. Mail that’s piling up. Bills paid a few days late. Mom mentioning she fell, but it was nothing. Dad letting the lawn go a little. Each thing on its own is plausible. The pattern is what tells you something has shifted.
This post is about reading that pattern early. Five categories of sign that almost always mean a parent is starting to need more support, what each looks like up close, and what to do once you see it.
For the dementia-specific version, see How to Assess Cognitive Decline in Aging Parents. This post focuses on broader functional decline, which can happen with or without cognitive change.
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